Electrical connection for hinged structures



Sept. 19, 1950 R. J. CARBQRY ELECTRICAL CONNECTION. FOR HINGE!)""smuc'wREs Filed March 25, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l/IIIIII 2Sheets-Sheet 2 R. J. CARBARY ELECTRICAL CONNECTION FOR-HINGED STRUCTURESFiled larch 25, 1947 Sept. 19, 1950 \1 $2 23... |r a; 21% His Attorney.

I nventov-n Richard lcarpar'y.

Patented Sept. 19, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICALCONNECTION FOR HINGED STRUCTURES Richard J. Carbary, Erie, Pa., assignorto General Electric Company, a corporation of New York My inventionrelates to electrical connections and more particularly to electricalconnections extending from a stationary structure to apparatus on a doorhinged thereto.

It is sometimes necessary to provide an electrical circuit between astationary structure such as a cabinet and a door or lid hinged to thecabinet. In some cases this may involve the supplying of power to apower-consuming device located in the door or lid. For example, inrefrigerator cabinets a butter conditioner ma sometimes be placed in thedoor. When the conditioner employs an electric heating element itslocation on the door introduces the problem of supplying power from thecabinet to the door. The frequent opening and closing of the door mayresult in serious wear of the electrical leads used to supply power tothe butter conditioner, and it is desirable to provide some arrangementfor minimizing the wear on the electrical leads.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide an improvedarrangement for conducting electrical leads from a stationary structuret a door hinged thereto wherein provision is made for minimizing thewear On electrical leads extending between the stationary structure andthe door.

It is another object of my invention to provide an improved arrangementincluding elec-. trical leadls extending from a stationary structure anda door hinged thereto wherein torsional stress on the electrical leadsis minimized.

It is a further object of my invention to provide an improvedarrangement for providing an electrical circuit between a cabinet and adoor hinged thereto, wherein the cabinet and the door may be separatelymanufactured and electrical leads extending between the cabinet and thedoor may be readily connected when the door is assembled on the cabinet.

Further objects and advantages ofmy invention will become apparent asthis description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterizemy invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claimsannexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding f my invention, reference may be had to theaccompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 shows a refrigerator including anembodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is a view, partly in section, takenin the area of the hinges shown in Fig. 1, illustrating details of thisembodiment; Fig. 3 is an enlarged view, partly in section, taken alongthe lines 3-3 of Fig. 2 and showing the door in its open position; Fig.4 is a. view. partly in section, similar to Fig. 3 showing the door inits closed position; Fig. 5 is an enlarged view, partly in section,taken along the line 5--5 in Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is an exploded view showingdetails of a portion of this embodiment; Fig. 7 is an enlarged view,partly in section, taken along the line 'I-l in Fig. 2; and Fig. 8 is anenlarged sectional view taken along the line 88 in Fig. 2.

Referring now to Fig. 1, there is shown a refrigdrator including a,cabinet i and a door 2 hinged thereto. A sealing gasket 3 is provided onthe door. Within the door, there is located a power-consuming device 4,such as a butter conditioner. Electrical energy is supplied to thebutter condition 4 from the cabinet through electrical leads 5, 6. Theleads 5, 6 in the cabinet may be connected in any suitable manner to thesource of power for the refrigerating machinery. The door is hinged tothe cabinet by two hinges I and 8 which are located near the oppositeends of the door, the hinges thus being spaced a substantial distanceapart. In order to provide the finished appearance of a piano-type hingeand to provide a passage for the electrical leads 5, 6 between thecabinet and the door there is provided a tubular member or conduit 9which extends between the hinges I and 8 and is arranged in line withthese hinges.

Referring to Fig. 2, the hinge l at the upper end of the door iscomposed of two parts i0 and II. The part i0 is mounted on the door andthe part I I is mounted on the cabinet by any suitable fastening means,such as screws I2. The part in includes knuckles [3 at the top andbottom portions thereof, only the lower of these knuckles being shown inFig. 2. The part II is provided with a single corresponding knuckle l4.A hinge pin l5 extends through the knuckles I3 and H to mount the twoparts of the hinge in pivotal relationship. The hinge 8 located near thelower end of the door is similarly composed of two parts it and H whichare mounted on the door and cabinet respectively by screws 18 or othersuitable fastening devices. The arrangement of the two parts of thehinge are reversed from the form shown for hinge I, the part H which isprovided with knuckles I9 at its upper and lower ends, only one suchknuckle being shown in Fig, 2, being mounted on the cabinet. The part Itwhich has a single knuckle 20 adapted to fit between the knuckles I9 ismounted on the door, A hinge pin 2i is provided to engage the knucklesi9 and 20 to assemble the parts [6 and 11 in pivoted relationship.

In order to mount the tubular member 9 between the hinges i and 8 and inline therewith,

and to provide terminals for the electrical leads on the door and on thecabinet, terminal assemblies 22 and 23 are provided adjacent each of thehinges. Referring to the upper terminal assembly 22, this assemblyincludes an insulating terminal block 24, clearly shown in Fig. 8, anda. set of terminals 25, 26 mounted on the door to receive the leads 5,6. The leads are fastened in electrical contact with the terminals byany suitable fastening devices such as screws 21 and 28. In order tocover the terminals to prevent accidental contact therewith aninsulating cap 29 is arranged to surround the terminals and is mountedon the door by a screw 30. In order to mount the upper end of theconduit 9 in aligned relationship with the hinge 1, there are provided ametallic tube or coupling member 3| and an insulating bushing 32, thisassembly providing a coupling element for connecting the conduit and thehinge. The upper end of the tube 3| is arranged to engage the knuckle Hof the hinge 1. The lower end of the tube 3| is adapted to receive theupper end of the insulating bushing 32, the position of the bushing 32within the tube being determined by a flange 33 on the bushing whichbutts against the lower end of the tube in the assembled position. Theupper end of the conduit 9 fits about the lower end of the bushing 32and the flange 33 also determines the relationship of the bushing withthe conduit 3, since the flange butts against the upper end of theconduit 9 and limits the amount which the bushing may extend into theconduit. In order to provide a passage for the electrical leads alongitudinal slot or opening 34, clearly shown in Fig. is formed in thebushing in line with the terminals 25, 26. By the arrangement justdescribed, the upper end of the conduit 9 is mounted in alignedrelationship with the upper hinge 1. The lower terminal assembly 23includes corresponding parts for mounting the lower end of the conduit 9in line with the hinge 9 and for connecting the leads 5 and 6 to thecabinet.

In Fig. 3 there are illustrated further details of the terminals. Asshown in this figure, the electrical leads 5 and 6 which extend throughthe space between an outer wall 35 of the door and an inner liner 36 ofthe door for supplying power to the butter conditioner are fastened bysoldering, or by any other suitable fastening arrangement, to theinwardly projecting ends of the terminals 25, 26, one such end beingshown at 31. The leads for supplying power from any suitable source ofpower on the cabinet extend within the spaced walls of the cabinet andare connected to similar inwardly projecting ends of the terminalsmounted on the cabinet. The terminals are positioned in the terminalblock 24, which is mounted on the door by a screw 38 or by any othersuitable securing device. In order to provide a seal against the leakageof moisture into the insulation between the spaced walls of the door inthe area of the terminals a gasket 39 is provided between the insulatingcap 29 and the door, and a gasket 40 is provided between the terminalblock 24 and the door. An arrangement corresponding to that justdescribed is employed in connecting with the terminals mounted on thecabinet.

The relation of the various parts of the hinges and the terminalassemblies when the door is in the closed position is shown in Fig. 4.The same numerals have been applied to corresponding parts in Figs. 3and 4.

In Fig. 5 there is illustrated the assembly for mounting the conduit 9in alignment with the hinge 1, and in Fig. 6 some of these parts areshown in an exploded view in order to illustrate the relationship moreclearly. The same numerals have been applied to corresponding parts inFigs. 2, 5 and 6. As has been previously described the part H] of thehinge is mounted on the outer wall 35 of the door 2 by two screws, oneof which is shown at l2. To furnish additional support for the hinge thescrew l2 extends into a backing plate 4| located on the opposite side ofthe wall 35. The metallic tube 3| is provided with two longitudinallyextending slots or openings 42 and 43, the former being provided forfacilitating assembly of the tube about the knuckle l3 of the hinge andthe latter providing an opening for the leads 5, 6 and generallycorresponding to the slot 34 in the bushing 32. At its upper end thetube 3| is provided with lips 44 and 45 which narrow the width of theslot 42 at this point. In assembling the tube 3| on the knuckle |3 ofthe hinge the lips 44, 45 are spread apart so as to provide an openingof suflicient width to pass over the portion 46 of the hinge part l0.When the assembly is completed the lips 44, 45 fit within a recess 41formed in the hinge part II) and the lips then spring together into theform shown in Fig. 6 because of the natural resilience of the metal ofwhich the tube 3| is composed. The lips 44 and 45 fitting within therecess 41 prevent downward movement of the tube 3| and thus maintain adefinite relationship between the hinge 1 and the remaining parts of theassembly. Upward movement of the tube 3| is prevented by the knuckle I4of the part II of the hinge which in the assembled position is locatedimmediately above the top of the tube 3|. In order to position thebushing 32 within the tube 3| in such a manner as to prevent relativerotation of the parts 3| and 32, the bushing is provided with anoutwardly extending lip 43 extending around the edge of the slot 34. Inthe assembled position, as shown in Fig. 5, the lip 49 extends outwardlythrough theslot 43 in the tube 3| and is arranged to butt against thelongitudinal edges of the slot 43 to prevent relative rotation of thetube 3| and the bushing 32. This assures that the slots 34 and 43 willbe maintained in circumferential alignment so that a passage will beprovided for the leads 5, 6 through the two slots to the terminals 25,26. The slots 34 and 43 are maintained in longitudinal alignment toinsure a passage for the leads 5, 6 by the flange 33, as previouslyexplained.

The various elements of the upper terminal assembly 22 and theirrelation to the hinge 1 are shown in Fig. 7. This figure illustrates thetube 3| in its assembled position on the knuckle l3 of the hinge andshows the lips 44, 45 after they have sprung together into the recess41.

Fig. 8 illustrates the mounting of the terminals and the terminal block.The terminals 25 and 26 are positioned within the terminal block 24, andeach is provided with a portion 31, previously described, to which theleads extending within the walls of the cabinet or the door are secured.The leads 5, 6 which extend through the conduit 9 are clamped to theterminals 25 and 26 respectively by screws 21 and 26. The terminal blockis mounted on the cabinet or the door, as the case may be, by a screw 36and gaskets 39 and 4|! are employed to seal the area around theterminals against the leakage of moisture.

It can be seen from the preceding description that arranging the twohinges a substantial distance apart and passing the electrical leadsthrough a conduit extending between the hinges the twisting of the wireis distributed over a considerable length of wire and the possibility ofinjury to the leads through repeated opening and closing of the door isminimized. I have also provided an arrangement for extending electricalpower to a butter conditioner or other device located in a door whereinthe electrical leads are concealed within a conduit aligned with thehinges. Further, I have provided an arrangement wherein the door and thecabinet including the electrical leads enclosed within each may beseparately manufactured and wherein the electrical circuit may becompleted during the assembly of the door on the cabinet by connectingthe section of electrical leads which extends between the terminalassemblies at the top and at the bottom of the door.

While I have described my invention in connection with the supplying ofpower to a butter conditioner located in the door of a refrigeratorcabinet, it will be apparent that its use is not so limited and that itmay be used in any apparatus wherein it is necessary to provideelectrical leads extending from a stationary structure to a door or lidhinged thereto. Therefore, I intend by the appended claims to cover allmodifications within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. In apparatus including a cabinet and a door hinged thereto, a pair ofhinges for mounting said door on said cabinet, said hinges being locateda substantial distance apart, a conduit connected to said hinges andextending therebetween in aligned relationship therewith, and electricalleads extending through said conduit, said conduit concealing saidelectrical leads.

2. In apparatus including a cabinet and a door, a pair of hinges formounting said door on said cabinet, said hinges being located near theopposite ends of said door, a conduit connected to said hinges andextending therebetween, means including a bushing for mounting saidconduit in alignment with each of said hinges, each of said bushingsbeing alinged with one of said hinges and including a portion extendinginto said conduit and a flange abutting an end of said conduit, aterminal block mounted on said door adjacent one of said hinges, asecond terminal block mounted on said cabinet adjacent the other of saidhinges, and electrical leads extending between said terminal blocksthrough said conduit.

3. In apparatus including a cabinet and a door therefor, a pair ofhinges for mounting said door on said cabinet, said hinges being locatednear opposite ends of said door, a conduit connected to said hinges andextending therebetween, means including a bushing engaging each of saidhinges for maintaining said conduit in alignment with said hinges, a setof terminals mounted on said door adjacent one of said hinges, a secondset of terminals mounted on said cabinet adjacent the other of saidhinges, and electrical leads extending between said sets of terminalsthrough said conduit, each of said bushings including a longitudinalopening and a flanged portion, said flanged portions butting against theends of said conduit to maintain said longitudinal openings aligned withsaid sets of terminals.

4. In apparatus including a cabinet and a door therefor, a pair ofhinges for mounting said door on said cabinet, said hinges being locatednear opposite ends of said door, a set of terminals mounted on said dooradjacent one of said hinges, a second set of terminals mounted on saidcabinet adjacent the other of said hinges, a metallic tulbe surroundinga portion of one of said hinges and having a 1 longitudinal openingtherein aligned with the set of terminals mounted adjacent said one ofsaid hinges, a bushing extending within said tube and having alongitudinal opening therein, anda flange on said bushing buttingagainst an end of said tube for maintaining the openings in said tubeand in said bushing in longitudinal alignment, a conduit engaging saidinsulating bushing and extending between said hinges, said conduit beingconnected to the other of said hinges, and electrical leads extendingbetween said sets of terminals through said conduit.

5. In a refrigerator including a cabinet and a door, electrical leadsextending between said cabinet and said .door, means for minimizing thetorsion in said leads resulting from the opening and closing of saiddoor, said means including a. pair of hinges located a substantialdistance apart for mounting said door on said cabinet, a conduit mountedon said hinges and extending therebetween in aligned relationshiptherewith, said electrical leads extending through said conduit, saidconduit concealing said electrical leads.

6. In apparatus including a cabinet and a door therefor, a pair ofhinges located near opposite ends of said door for mounting said door onsaid cabinet, a set of terminals mounted on said door adjacent one ofsaid hinges, a second set of terminals mounted on said cabinet adjacentthe other of said hinges, a conduit extending between said hinges,electrical leads extending between said terminals through said conduit,an assembly cooperating with each of said hinges for mounting saidconduit in alignment with said hinges, at least one of each of saidmounting assemblies including a metallic tube engaging one end of itsrespective hinge, said metallic tube including a longitudinal slotadjacent its respective set of terminals, a bushing having one endengaging said metallic tube, the other end of said bushing engaging saidconduit, said bushing including a longitudinal slot and a flange adaptedto bear against an end of said metallic tube to maintain said slot inlongitudinal alignment with said terminals and with said slot in saidmetallic tube, and a lip along the edge of the slot in said insulatingbushing adapted to engage an edge of the slot in said metallic tube tomaintain the slot in said bushing in circumferential alignment with itsrespective set of terminals and with the slot in said metallic tube.

7. In apparatus including a cabinet and a door hinged thereto, a pair ofhinges located near opposite ends of said door for mounting said door"on said cabinet, a conduit cooperating with each of said hinges andextending therebetween, a pair of bushings, one engaging each end ofsaid conduit, a coupling member engaging each of said bushings andengaging a portion of each of said hinges for maintaining said conduitin alignment with said hinges, a set of terminals mounted on said dooradjacent one of said hinges, a sec-- ond set of terminals mounted onsaid cabinet adjacent the other of said hinges, and electrical leadsextending between said sets of terminals through said conduit.

8. In apparatus including a cabinet and a door therefor, a pair ofhinges located near opposite ends of said door for mounting said door onsaid cabinet, a conduit extending between said hinges,

asaaoeo a pair of terminal assemblies, one cooperating with each 01 saidhinges and with each end of said conduit, each of said terminalassemblies including a set of terminals, a metallic tube mounted on itsrespective hinge and having a slot therein in alignment with itsrespective set oi. terminals, a bushing engaging said metallic tube andhaving a slot therein, said bushing having a flanged portion adapted tobutt against an end of said metallic tube to maintain said slot in saidbushing in line with said slot in said tube and with said set ofterminals, said bushing engaging one end of said conduit, said flangedportion adapted to butt against said end of said conduit, and electricalleads extending between said sets of terminals through said conduit.

9. In apparatus including a cabinet and a door hinged thereto, a pair ofhinges for mounting said door on said cabinet, said hinges being locateda substantial distance apart, a conduit extending 20 5 through saidconduit.

RICHARD J. CARBARY.

REFERENCES CITED The iollowing references are of record in the 10 tile01' this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 612,192 Chandler Oct. 11, 18981,702,614 Murphy Feb. 19, 1929 2,148,787 Thomas Feb. 28, 1939 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 485,285 Germany Oct. 29, 1929

